In this world where magic and divine arts exist.
The regeneration of severed limbs,
For casters with even a slight degree of mastery in the relevant fields, is actually not a particularly arduous task.
Certain extremely powerful beings, or those closely linked to the realm of the dead, can even directly pull a deceased soul back from the outer planes into the material realm, granting them "rebirth."
Of course, the prerequisite is that you can pay a sufficient price.
Xia Nan was not sure exactly what level of strength the priest before him, a believer in the Sun God, possessed.
He simply watched with his own eyes as Jeff's gruesome wound, severed below the knee, bathed in holy light and scabbed over and healed within a dozen seconds.
But the lost left leg did not grow back.
As for the reason...
He could only guess that either the gold coins had not been sufficient, or the priest's strength had not yet reached the level of restoring injuries with a casual gesture.
From the other party's perspective, for an injured stranger—even a friend of the Sheriff—it would be impossible to consume too many resources to treat them without cause.
"Hmm?"
Ingram, who had thought that the negative energy entwined deep within Jeff's flesh would be dispelled under the radiance of the holy light, had just breathed a sigh of relief due to the healing of the wound when he suddenly noticed the puzzled expression on the priest's face.
"Sir, is something wrong?" he asked somewhat urgently.
Tapping the end of his staff lightly on the ground, the priest frowned slightly, his eyes fixed on Jeff on the stretcher as he spoke slowly
"What is on him is not simply undead power."
"There is also a certain deeper, darker energy nesting within."
Hearing this, the Sheriff's expression became even more urgent as he pressed
"Then my friend, he..."
"Rest assured, having bathed in the Lord's holy light, his life is not in danger. However, as for what the entanglement of negative energy will bring, no one knows."
"Is there no way to eradicate it?" Ingram looked at Jeff on the ground with worried eyes.
"Find the culprit, find the person whose mind was seized by the undead... perhaps that could eliminate the influence they brought."
Xia Nan couldn't help but recall Tim, whom he had repelled last night.
He thought to himself
"His strength is entirely within a range I can handle, but after last night's incident, he probably won't show himself again for a short while."
"Finding him again will be a bit troublesome."
His eyes shifted, and he suddenly noticed the halfling beside him, who had remained silent since entering the church.
Facing the priest's explanation, the halfling's face showed obvious confusion.
His lips parted, as if he wanted to ask the priest something, but in the end, he swallowed the words back down.
"Heh..."
Just as the atmosphere fell into silence, a pained murmur suddenly came from the stretcher.
"Jeff!?"
The Sheriff's expression turned to one of joy, and he couldn't help but shout.
"Where... am I?" Jeff propped himself up with both hands on the ground, instinctively trying to stand.
He suddenly realized there was a void beneath his feet, and he couldn't find any leverage.
He couldn't help but look down.
"My! My leg!?"
His breathing, which had gradually steadied under the healing of the holy light, became rapid once again.
His pupils contracted, his emotions fluctuated, and an unnatural flush appeared on his face.
Suddenly, a warm, firm pressure came upon his shoulders.
Ingram crouched down, gripping the other's shoulders tightly, and said in a deep voice
"Look at me, Jeff, look at me, stay calm!"
"..."
A man who had spent half his life sitting in carriages had seen countless life-and-death partings.
To some extent, perhaps many years ago, he had already mentally prepared himself to die during some mission.
Therefore, he accepted the injury to his left leg very quickly.
Without even needing others to comfort him, he began to laugh self-deprecatingly
"Dess and the others are always complaining in their letters that I don't come home. This is actually perfect; after all these years, it's time I took a rest."
"Haha, I wonder if I'll get the nickname 'Peg-leg Jeff' from now on."
Facing his friend's reaction, Ingram instead appeared exceptionally self-reproachful.
His hands clenched into tight fists, and his face was filled with regret
"It's my fault! I clearly saw you during the day; if only I had noticed the signs then..."
"Eh!" The middle-aged man who had lost his left leg interrupted, patting the other's shoulder. "No need. In our line of work, being able to retire with your life intact is already a stroke of great luck."
"Right, I also have to thank..."
As if remembering something, Jeff looked toward Xia Nan and the other with gratitude.
Waving his hand, not wanting the conversation to linger on that topic, Xia Nan asked
"Last night, what did it feel like?"
"The feeling..." Jeff's expression became thoughtful as he recalled, "It was like having a nightmare?"
"But there were no clear dream images; it was just that my consciousness was pulled away from my body, and I couldn't perceive changes in the outside world."
It wasn't particularly useful information.
Jeff was just an ordinary person; facing the erosion of undead power, he had no ability to resist.
Fortunately, after the priest's holy light healing, the most severe physical injuries were alleviated.
Furthermore, due to his familiarity as an old friend of the Sheriff, he received the rare approval of the priest to recover in the church, utilizing the special environment here to suppress the residual negative energy in the wound.
Under the guidance of the staff, Xia Nan and the halfling helped move Jeff to the adjacent side chapel.
For a moment, only the Sheriff and the priest remained in the grand, empty chapel.
*Tap.*
The air was quiet, save for the slight sound of the cane hitting the floor.
The priest turned around, stepped up the stairs, and walked slowly to the edge of the altar.
"How much is left?"
It was the same gentle and calm tone as before.
Ingram withdrew his gaze from the doorway where the others had departed.
He took two steps forward, bent his knees, and knelt on one knee.
The flanged mace hanging at his waist lightly clinked against the stone floor.
"Soon."
"Before the next full moon, he should be able to complete the ritual."
The priest did not reply.
He simply gazed at the massive stained-glass window ahead that occupied nearly the entire wall.
After a long while, he spoke
"Once you have taken this step, go to Alliance Heavy City."
"There is the place closest to the Lord."
Ingram looked up instantly, complex emotions flickering in his deep blue eyes.
Then he abruptly lowered his head and said in a deep voice
"Yes!"
The church fell into dead silence once again.
A beam of morning light shot down from the dome, illuminating countless tiny dust particles in the air while also spilling over the kneeling Ingram.
His smooth, semi-long hair draped from his ears to his cheeks; the light plate armor representing his status as Sheriff reflected a metallic luster, and the golden sun emblem on his cuffs seemed to shimmer with a faint light.
He bathed in the light, but his lowered head cast his face in shadow, making it unclear.
The benevolent-looking priest stood high upon the steps and closed his eyes once more.
On the mottled and magnificent grand stained-glass window before him, the silver-haired man with the blurred face still held high the scales and the codex in his hands.
Shining with radiance.
(End of Chapter)